UFC 143's Matt Riddle on fight style: 'I don't do the point game'

Lose on Saturday night, and it will be curtains for Matt Riddle’s octagon career.

Or will it?

Riddle (5-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) said the UFC brass has his back when it comes to his work performance, and that buys him a longer shelf life than others. So even if he loses to welterweight newcomer Henry Martinez (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 143, he isn’t a man worried about losing his job.

UFC 143 takes place Saturday at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Riddle vs. Martinez is part of the FX-televised preliminary card, which serves as a lead-in for the pay-per-view main card. Riddle originally was scheduled to fight Jorge Lopez (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) as a fill-in for the injured Amir Sadollah (5-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), but Lopez was forced to withdraw himself with an injury.

Martinez is a short-notice opponent, which is a historically dangerous prospect for a veteran. Riddle could be in for an easy night of work or have more than he can handle.

Either one is fine.

“This is how I look at it: Bottom line is, there’s people that win fights that people never want to see fight again, and that’s how it is,” Riddle today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “I go out there – win, lose, or draw, I don’t care – I’m going out there to hurt you. I’m want blood. I want that crowd to roar. I’m going to make it happen.

“Even if you back up and run away like Sean Pierson did with me, I’m going to run forward throwing one-twos and head kicks because I want that crowd to get loud. And you know what? (UFC executives) Joe Silva and Dana White respect me more because of that instead of being a coward and fighting the point game.”

Riddle has been losing that game as of late. Newcomer Lance Benoist outworked him at UFC Fight Night 25, and the aforementioned Pierson did the same at UFC 124. There’s a fairly hilarious animated .gif floating around the Internet that shows Riddle doing exactly what he said he does against Pierson – walking forward, throwing one-twos, and comically getting popped between punches by Pierson’s counterpunching.

There’s smart aggressive, and there’s reckless aggressive, and Riddle still may be finding the latter in his development as a fighter. A rare prospect to make his professional debut in the UFC, Riddle emerged from “The Ultimate Fighter 7″ with three consecutive wins before his first loss. He rebounded with back-to-back victories before his current slide.

But despite the threat that a third loss presents – few fighters are able to pull out of that nosedive – he doesn’t plan on changing his approach to fighting.

“I don’t do the point game,” Riddle said. “I like to win, but I like to put on a show because that’s why people are there, and I don’t want to be forgotten in time as one of those guys that, ‘Oh, he was good at wrestling.’ No. I like to fight, I like to brawl, and that’s what I do.”

Incidentally, he’s facing a guy for whom he has little worry. That could be the real reason he’s not biting his nails.

“(I) did some research on him,” Riddle said of Martinez. “He’s a decent wrestler, but he’s a lot smaller than me … and he’s fought 145 and 155 (pounds). I’m a big welterweight, so I think I’m going to press him, keep the action going 100 percent of the whole time, and probably put him down in the second or third, if not the first.

“Honestly, I think I’m going to punch my way into the clinch and then probably put him down with some knees, and I think once he feels how big and strong I am, I don’t know what he’s going to do. I’ve seen him fight before, and he’s usually the stronger, more dominant person. And I believe I’m better at everything he’s good at. So I don’t think he has a really good chance against me.”

As such, Riddle boldy predicts a second-round stoppage by submission or TKO.

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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